“Not Buying Cottage Cheese”: Motivations for Consumer Protest-the Case of the 2011 Protest in Israel

摘要

The 2011 Israeli consumer protest was groundbreaking: It enjoyed mass public support and had dramatic influence on the behaviour of Israeli companies and consumers alike. Most observers view this protest as a reaction to economic inequality in Israeli society, the increased cost of living, and public antipathy towards large businesses and the wealthy elite controlling them. However, this overlooks the wider political and cultural context: the decline in traditional political participation and the growing “openness” of brands to consumers, which can be referred to as the “prosumption turn.” By specifically analyzing the 2011 consumer protest against Israeli dairy companies, this article demonstrates how motivations for a consumerist act (boycott or buycott) can be linked to a broader, indirect context.